Catfish Processing Down Seven Per Cent

US - Farm-raised catfish processed during September 2009 totalled 36.4 million pounds round weight, down seven per cent from September 2008.

The average price paid to producers was 77.2 cents per pound for September 2009, up 0.3 cent from last month but 5.5 cents below a year ago.

Net pounds of processed fish sold during September 2009 totalled 18.9 million pounds, up 5 per cent from the comparable month in 2008.

The total end of the month inventory decreased four per cent from last month and was down 10 per cent from a year ago.

Sales of fresh fish, at 6.41 million pounds, were up one per cent from September 2008 and represented 34 per cent of total sales.

Frozen fish sales, at 12.5 million pounds, were up seven per cent from a year ago and accounted for the remaining 66 per cent of total fish sales. Sales of whole fish represented 16 per cent of the total fish sold, fillets accounted for 62 per cent, and the remaining 22 per cent were mostly steaks, nuggets, and value added products.

The September 2009 average price received by processors for total fresh fish was $2.49 per pound, down 12 cents from last year. Prices for fresh whole fish were $1.66 per pound, down seven cents from September 2008. Prices for fresh fillets were down 13 cents from a year ago at $3.20 per pound.

Total frozen fish averaged $2.53 per pound, down 6 cents from September 2008. Prices for frozen whole dressed fish were down 7 cents at $2.21 and frozen fillets at $2.92 per pound were down 14 cents from a year ago.

Freshwater imports for consumption of Ictalurus spp., Pangasius spp., and other catfish of the order Siluriformes for August 2009 totaled 11.7 million pounds, up 67 per cent from the amount imported in August 2008. Imports were from Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Ictalurus spp. imports totaled 1.21 million pounds, which were from China and Mexico.

Fresh, boneless catfish fillet exports totaled 91.8 thousand pounds, with 42.8 thousand pounds going to Canada and the rest going to China and Denmark. Exports of frozen, boneless catfish fillets for August 2009 totalled 12.4 thousand pounds, going to the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, and the Netherlands Antilles.